Job interviews can be stressful. Especially when the interview is with a commanding general and his wife.
"What is the best advice your mother has given you?"
The question caught U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Maylin Matute a little by surprise.
Matute, along with three other Soldiers, was interviewing for the coveted position of the general's enlisted aid.
Matute had been raised a world away in Honduras. She remembers how her single mother would often work long hours, but no matter what, always made the time to prepare a meal for her children.
Now, many years later, Matute took a deep breath, and spoke what was in her heart.
"My mother always told me to work hard for what I want and to stay humble in life."
It was the right answer.
Today, Matute is the enlisted aid to U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin, commander, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command -- Operation Inherent Resolve, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley commanding general.
Matute's duties center on doing what is needed to make the general's job easier. She helps with the time-consuming daily tasks so he can focus on the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Matute takes charge of everything from preparing, planning and executing formal events to packing his bags for trips. "The leadership works hard so you have to be ready for anything and be spot on in everything you do," Matute said
Some might say that taking care of others is a Matute family tradition. When Matute was 15 years old, she moved to the U.S. with her mother and two of her brothers. But due to Honduran regulations, her little brother, Carlos, who has cerebral palsy, would not have been able to have supported himself, so he had to remain in Honduras as his family moved.
When Matute was old enough, she joined the Army in hopes of earning enough money to support her family and to help her brother immigrate to the U.S. She became a 92G, a food service specialist.
"I imagined that I would become a great chef," said Matute. But there is so much more than just culinary arts in this profession. Food plays an important role in the lives of all soldiers.
Soldiers in the field look forward to two things the most: sleep and food.
Matute recognizes that meals can build or bust morale whether it is for a private in the field or a commanding general.
Her duties as a general's aid often remind her of her childhood in Honduras where she helped prepare meals and care for the family.
"Ever since I was little I have never been afraid of working hard," said Matute. "Family taught me to be independent -- I had to get up, make my own bed, wash my own dishes and help take care of my brothers. When I grew up, it made me who I am."
Today, Matute's brother Carlos remains in Honduras, but Matute and her family are optimistic that he will soon be able to reunite with the family at their home in South Carolina. Through hard work and perseverance Matute hopes the wait won't be much longer.
In the meantime, Matute continues to channel the lessons her mother taught her into her Army career.
Social Sharing